Building America's arsenal at home: Solideon Defense opens in Norfolk

At STATION DC's inaugural event, Solideon, a leader in autonomous production systems, announced the launch of Solideon Defense and a next-generation production facility in Norfolk, Virginia, developed in partnership with Fairlead. The new division is designed to harden the U.S. submarine industrial base with deployable, resilient capacity. Together, these moves deliver on the Administration's call to restore America's maritime dominance and reindustrialize the U.S. economy by reshoring defense manufacturing, strengthening shipbuilding capacity, and fueling job creation.

At the Norfolk site, Solideon's software-defined systems transform raw stock into mission-ready assets, from submarine hull sections to defense-grade, large-format hardware. By deploying autonomous production directly to the waterfront, Solideon delivers capability at the speed of need aligned with U.S. Navy operational requirements. The Norfolk effort will be led by Jeff Yeager, President of Solideon Defense, who brings decades of experience in defense manufacturing, digital transformation, and maritime operations.

“While others are talking about fixing the industrial base, Solideon is delivering,” says Oluseun Taiwo, Cofounder and CEO of Solideon. “With Solideon Defense, we are deploying autonomous production where it matters most, closer to the fight, resilient to disruption, and aligned with the Navy's demand for distributed, scalable capacity.”

“This partnership with Solideon is a fundamental shift in our operational philosophy,” says Fairlead's COO, Jeremy Jeffreys. “We're embedding autonomous, robotic manufacturing directly into our workflow. This allows us to dramatically cut production timelines, eliminate supply chain risks, and rapidly deploy solutions for the most complex maritime challenges. We aren't just building ships; we are building a smarter, more agile industrial base for American naval readiness.”

The launch of Solideon Defense advances the Administration's priorities to accelerate defense production, strengthen the submarine industrial base, and ensure the United States can out-innovate its adversaries. It aligns with the Secretary of the Navy's naval priorities to expand submarine capacity, reinforce the industrial workforce, and modernize production infrastructure. The Department of Defense and Congress have both prioritized expanding submarine production and workforce capacity. By establishing operations in Norfolk, Solideon is anchoring one of the nation's most important maritime prosperity zones, fueling both national security readiness and economic growth in Hampton Roads, home to America's largest naval base and shipbuilding workforce.